Vlogstyle Episode 05: The Militant Rides The Gold Line Eastside Extension On Opening Day!

YouTurd gave the Militant a hard time, so now he's going Vimeo.

Hey DJ Won't You Play That Song...

The Militant always believed that there's a rhythm to this City. Or rather, many rhythms. Angeleno indie filmmakers Jerry Chan and Mitchel Dumlao recently made a 4-minute short film, entitled DJ:LA, proving just that. Just d-d-d-d-dig it (Note: The above YouTube video is just a one-minute preview; the short in its entirely can be seen here: http://www.slamdance.com/videos/products/662.html).

Special props to Militant Operative Valleypinoy for the tip!

The Militant Takes a "Rain" Check

The Militant leads a busy life, edumacating people on Los Angeles, culture, Los Angeles culture, as well as the cultures of Los Angeles. He was all set last night (the Militant usually goes into writing mode at around midnight and goes live an our or so later) to detail his neighborhood council adventure and hanging out chatting with a local bar owner who attended that meeting about the community, but the Militant was way too fatigued.

In the mean time, the Militant will fill you in, if you're not filled in already, on the internet phenom known as Tay Zonday (pictured above). When the Militant went to the Apple store on Carusoville's Main Street a few weeks ago and touched an iPhone for the very first time (with your heart beat next to mine?), the very first video he saw in that slick little newfangled contraption was something called Chocolate Rain. It featured some nerdy-looking kid on the mic singing in some deep baritone in a song seemingly devoid of structure. Watching that video later on a more conventional desktop computer on yielded momentary laughter and disbelief. But by the third listen, he found something deeper. More, dare the Militant say...militant? Dig the lyrics.

Zonday, the nom d'etage (or nom de guerre?) of a certain 25-year old Minneapolis-based grad school student named Adam, staged the perfect media coup: By using the homemade medium of YouTube, posting something seemingly goofy on the surface, but delivering a dry message on the effects of institutionalized racism literally in between the lines - in the process reeling in the attention of early 21st century pop culture and crossing into traditional forms of media such as Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live! (where Zonday performed over the past few days). But wait, there's more. dig one of his interviews. Sanjaya he is definitely not. This is some pretty deep stuff here.

In 1984, the Twin Cities gave us "Purple Rain." In 2007, they now give us "Chocolate Rain."

On A Serious Note
The Militant is known for mixing activism with humor, but he would like to seriously acknowledge the loss of two Angelenos this week: Hal Fishman and Bryan Padgett.

Fishman, as many Angelenos know was KTLA's News at Ten. It's hard for the Militant to say other than what's already been said about the legendary news anchor other than local TV news in Los Angeles has not only lost an anchor, it has lost an entire era.

Padgett was the son of one of the Militant's most loyal readers, Edward Padgett, who is also a fellow local blogger. The younger Padgett was killed in a car accident in Azusa early Wednesday. Please drive more carefully and responsibly, people, so others - including people you care about - won't have to suffer the same fate.

The Militant knew neither of these Angelenos in person, but it is not only human tradition but human nature to create bonds and connections between people during times of loss -- that's when they're needed the most.

Rest in peace, Hal and Bryan.

SONIC BOOM! Space Shuttle Lands at Edwards

The Space Shuttle Atlantis landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base at 12:49 p.m. today, just 80 miles north of Los Angeles, due to unsatisfactory weather conditions out in Florida.

For Angelenos, that means one thing: sonic boom!

Back in November 1981, as a wee Militant Angeleno, I witnessed (well, barely) the landing of the second space shuttle mission. The family took a day trip up to the desert and I got to see a small white dot flanked by two smaller dots land in the Mojave. I did hear two thundering sonic booms a couple minutes before the landing though.

Here in the city, one usually hears their windows slightly rattle, not as much as an earthquake but more like the sound of a child's fist lightly pounding on the window twice.

So I used my trusty Sharp MiniDisc recorder and placed it on my front porch to capture the moment. Interestingly enough, I couldn't hear it inside while I watched the landing on TV. But a review of the MD audio, amidst the sound of nearby construction equipment, wind chimes and the calls of chirping birds (refugees from the recent Griffith Park fire), came up with a couple booms. Turn up your speakers (a subwoofer is strongly recommended) and take a listen to this mp3 (Don't worry, the RIAA won't getcha)!


User Joehadenuf on ytmnd.com however made a more dramatic-sounding recording (complete with a congratulatory, "Yeah!" and barking dogs). Check it out here.

Shoryuken!